Plant for towing vessels on waterways



July 28, 19,25. 1 547 25 A. H. MULLER PLANT FOR TOWING VESSELS 0N WATERWAYS- Filed June 27, 1924 2 4 [Z lg. n k v 0o0000oopoooooooioacflooooooooooooooooooooooololzolooooooooooooooooo I F' 3 i .7

Patented July 28, 1925.

warren sra'rs ARTHUR nueo MULLER, or BI AnKENnsE; mm nmwm; GERMANY;

PLANT Eon TOWING vE-ss-rms on WATERWAYS} Application-filed June 27, 1924. SerialNo. 722,7851.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known, that I, ARTHUR HUGO Mt'iLLER, a ,CltlZQl'l of Germany, residing. at;

Blankenese, near Hamburg Germany, have,

invented certain new and useful Improvements in Plants for Towing Vessels on lVaterways, of which the following. is a specification. 7

Since a long. time it has been the aim to solve the question of towing 'electroniechani cally ships, vessels, boats and the like on inland waterways, by erecting a. system of Wires over the water way carrying a track along which a motor driven trolley or crab is run drawing the vessel along the river. One of the reasons why the trials made heretofore were not successful was the fact that no appropriate construction of the track and its suspension was found.

The track has not only to bear the strains created by its own weight and by the pull of the vessel longitudinally and transversally to the chain, but it has also to well stand the drawing action and the friction due to the movement of the trolley without undergoing severe wear and tear of the driving gear and the track. Moreover the track should be laterally so rigidly connected with the carrier-system, that the forces created transversally, particularly when running over curves are directed from the track across the carrier-system to the points of its attachment. At sucha moment however the suspension should not obstruct or check the passing of the machine. Above all it is considered a requirement that the track inclusive of its carrier system can be produced and erected at low costs, and also the maintenance should be such, that even when at first the traffic is slight it should be a financial success. The trials made heretofore could not be successful on account of more or less failing to fulfill one or more of these conditions. Thus for instance making use of wire cables as a track has been found impossible on account of the difficulty to bear the strain without the extreme pressure and wear and tear, and also to make a good connection of the carrier system which would not obstruct the movement of the trolley. The same drawbacks are met with the ordinary chains, because these are too we pensive. The same is to be said with regard to perfectly fixed stiff tracks the carrier system of which would be too heavy and too expensive.

According-to; the present invention the problem is solved by comparatively long bars which are linked together. so-as to form a track. similar to achain which is attached to a spanned systenrof; wires or rods. By connectingtworflat iron rods bya series of bolts'so as tojforin a rack? into which the.

teeth ofa:sprockeawheel are adapted; to engage the draft can be transmitted to the track in a most simple mannerQandsuch a track,will bear considerable large bending strains and-has a small weight. V p

Instead of fiat iron bars bars of other cross section may be used, for instance bar iron of any suitable cross section, to which the drawing power is transmitted by frictioninstead of by sprocket-teeth.

A chain thus formed of longitudinal linked together bars will be much cheaper in construction and maintenance than any other chain. It combines the advantages of movability and the fact that it can be spanned over such great distances as it was heretofore only possible with ordinary chains or cables, and the new track has moreover the advantage inherent to rigid railway tracks, and also enables a good and positive connection with the carrier system without obstructing the passing of the tr0lley while also allowing of a good transmission of the draft.

By way of example Fig. 1 is an elevation of a trolley carried by a track shown in cross section. 4

Figs. 2 and 3 are side view and plan of a track constructed according to the invention.

Fig. 4 is a cross section drawn to the line H of Fig. 2 to a larger scale.

Figs. 5 and 6 are side views o-f'modifications ofthe track.

Fig. 7 is an elevation of a trolley adapted to run along a track shown in Fig. 5.

Fig. 8 is the section of a water way in the center of which a vessel is floating.

Fig. 9 is a diagrammatical plan of a water way with a system of wires or rods and a track, and

Fig. 10 is a side view of a vessel in a water way.

The system of wires or rods a is attached to posts 6 anchored in any well known manner. From the system of wires preferably frames 03 are suspended to which the tracks I) and 0 are attached, one being used for the traffic river up and the other river down. All arising forces will be taken up by the llO frame d to transmit them by the system of wires or rods a to the posts 6. To the frames 01 also the conductors f for the electric current may be attached in any well known manner.

The chain-like track consists of single longitudinal bars 9 which are connected by links it at their end to form a continuous track (Figs. 2, 3, 5 and 6). The length of the bar is limited by the bending strength of the material in vertical direction as well as in horizontal direction.

In Figs. 2 and 3 the bars 9 are intended to be constructed of two fiat iron bars 9 and g by a series of bolts 9", and the bars are connected with one another by links h. Between the bolts g the sprocket wheels or toothed wheels ?1 of the draft trolley K are adapted to engage. The draft trolley K is guided by the upper crab 70 on the chain. The current of the electric motor m will be taken from the conductors f by the brushes Z.

In the modifications shown in Figs. 5 and 6 the longitudinal bars constituting the track have a U-shaped section or a box-like or rectangular hollow cross section which may be linked together in any suitable manner.

I claim:

1. A plant for towing Vessels on a waterway, comprising, a system of rods spanned across the water-way, a track suspended from the system, said track being made of long bars linked together to form a traction chain for a trolley.

2. A plant for towing Vessels on a waterway, comprising, a system of rods spanned across the water-way, a track suspended from the system, said track being made of comparatively long rack-bars linked together to form a traction chain for a trolley, and sprocket wheels on the trolley.

ARTHUR HUGO MULLER. 

